The Laible Style
– Elite Clarity
– Perfect Terroir Expression
– Balance and Complexity
– Achat and Klingelberger Are GG Quality for Me
– The Actual GGs Are Just Beyond…
– This is Higher than the Am Buhl
2022 Andreas Laible Riesling Stollenberg GG
– Nose: Haunting
– So Insanely Complex one Cannot Believe It
– Lemon Oil, Lemon Flowers
– Huge Minerals
– Some Green Tea
– Floral
– Apricot
– Seashells, So, So Mineral
– Citrus, Citrus Jelly
– Subtle with Deep Stone Fruits
– Palate is Super Stoney and Mineral
– Terrifically Juicy and Balanced
– Superb Citrus Fruits, Lime
– Apricot, Peach Pith
– Amazing Texture
– Mosel-like Nimbleness and Purity /9.7 Delectable
We all love Laible and it’s been my privilege and honor to work with Andreas and Petra. We also have become close friends and the passionate “Laible heads” of the list I share a particular affection for as these are more James Joyce than any other Rieslings we sell. If we keep with this metaphor we know Joyce is a genius and much of his work is impenetrable to the common man but there are also maybe more books of literary analysis than any other author out there besides Shakespeare. I am not saying Laible’ wines are impenetrable but they are challenging and the patient drinker is rewarded when they “get them.” But what is Joyce without Ulysses and what is Laible without Riesling GGs?
Laible makes a painfully small amount of Riesling GGs.
Laible’s Riesling GGs, now that we got them after 10 years of working with them, are easily in the top 5 Riesling GGs we sell. They are thrilling wines that have stunning Riesling architecture and are so precise, so pristine, so elegant and so deep mere words will fail me. But as many of you know I’ll still give it a shot as I am never at a loss for words.
After having the 20 and 21 recently I can confidently say this is one of the great dry Rieslings of Gerrmany.
The Wine
Up first is the 2022 Laible Stollenberg Riesling GG for $43.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. On the haunting nose, lemon oil, huge minerals, some green tea. What a nose. Stunning. Citrus. Green peas. Apricot, seashells, so, so mineral. So complex and airy. So elegant. Yellow and orange fruits. So delicate and playful. Citrus. Citrus jelly. Really clear and mineral. Citrus, lime zest, so aromatic and mineral. Flowers, vineyard peach, apricot on the pithy and fleshy nose. The nose let’s you know you are in rarified air. Superb complexity and such depth. Floral, vanilla extract and superb freshness. Herbal as well. Some citrus peeking through. Tangelo skin and pithy. Huge huge minerals. Confectionary. Ripe. Enormous complexity. Engaging sponti aromas as well. Really a wow nose. Ripe but just perfectly ripe enough to showcase perfectly healthy and ripe fruit. Superbly clean and stunningly pure. Sick nose. So distinctive. The nose is just superbly mineral and so so pretty. Super Floral, subtle with deep stone fruits. Stone fruit pits. Hint of sponti adds to the allure. This is so insanely complex one cannot believe it. Nuance after nuance announces it’s Grand Cru pedigree. It’s so deep, ever changing and so pungent yet precise. An unforgettable nose. Bottle this up and sell it as perfume it is that awesome. Stollenberg #5.
The palate is super stoney and mineral. It’s terrifically juicy and balanced and really makes your mouth water. It’s amazingly clean, super pure, scary elegant and so so precise. Beautiful. So elegant. Juicy. Kumquats. Nice bitterness. Awesome. Nimble and elegant and extraordinary minerality and refinement. The palate is beautifully acidic but cleansing with brilliant stoney flavors on a long and structured background. It’s incredibly persistent and present while getting to every nook and cranny of your palate. The Grand Cru grip and length is there in spades. It’s just stunning. One sip and you’re just like this is a great wine and I can’t wait to see where it goes. It’s got superb complexity and an insane persistent minerality throughout. There is a compelling mid palate richness that quickly moves into a super stoney, super acidic and super mineral, fresh finish. This is incredible. Deep, juicy and with impressive breadth. Obviously showing younger than the 20 but also has more concentration and purity. Awesome freshness and grip. Terrific fruit, citrus rides on a wave of minerality on the finish. Superb length and clarity. Lovely hint of spice on the finish. Stunning. Even with some air the nose goes krazy and gets so pungent. Insane citrus and depth. So floral. Stunning! Wow that palate is the ultimate rich/fresh combo. That contrast is insane and sets this apart. After air the aromas are just like the most beautiful cloud one can imagine. It’s so so refined and just an unreal wine. Grand Cru all the way and the longest wine of many that I tasted at Laible. Just a work of art. Wow. Long. Structured. It’s got stupid incredible structure and density for a wine that is $44.99 I mean, it’s kind of crazy. It’s really, really long and so fine. It’s so refined. The refinement is what really gets you. Huge acid and drive on the palate. Amazing texture. Lime and rock flavors mixed with some killer herbals and bitters. Awesome structure and density but so lithe. Mosel-like nimbleness and purity. Just a terrific terrific bottle. Really the biggest revelation of these recent 21 Riesling tastings as this is now an important wine in the portfolio and also in Germany. This has just crazy and acidity and freshness. What a finish. Lime sweet tart along with such mineral drive on this. Superb citrus fruits, apricot, peach pith but not messy peach flesh. So refined. It gets so delicate on the finish with this delicate purity that is insane. Lime blossom lingers in the finish as your mouth waters. Just a stunning stunning wine.
This was glorious on day 2 as I kept the bottle and maybe better. Nose was an intense perfume. Bitter citrus, flowers and minerals. Wow. Truly wow. Gorgeous clarity. Palate is a bit more integrated than yesterday’s acid bath. Lovely citrus fruit and terrific purity and balance. Sappy galore. Great concentration and complexity. Long. So so mineral. This is a showstopper. I gave this a 9.7 along with the 21.
Please call Cheryl at 949 378 5251 after emailing with your order if you are a first time customer (we prefer not to receive credit card numbers over E-Mail).
OFFICE HOURS 4-7 PM
I love drinking and selecting wines – but my passion for teaching people about wine is almost as big. I’m happy to announce a block of time each day where people can call me just to chat about wine in general. These blocks are NOT intended to sell wine (I do that all day). This is to talk to me about wine pairings or great producers or how long to age wines or styles of wine making or the latest wine controversy. My goal is to help people learn more about wine and enjoy it more. Call me at 917-912-4355 from 4-7EST Monday – Friday.
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